UPDATED 07:12 EDT / APRIL 03 2012

Six Years In the Making: Can Google Drive Compete with Dropbox?

Like many other stealth projects from the search giant, Google Drive has summoned a great deal of attention even before its official launch date is announced. It was reported that in a few weeks time, the public will be able to access this cloud storage service—Google’s answer to the unprecedented growth of internet-connected devices like smartphones and tablets, alongside the boom of the cloud computing industry. The primary idea that runs through the core of the service will be to empower users to access their files anywhere, anytime and with the use of any device, since these files are stored in the cloud. Consequently, collaboration and sharing will be easier and much more mobile.

But Google Drive’s launch was not just a “Eureka” moment for the search engine giant. They came up with the idea over the latter years of the past decade. It was only after six years that lights have been shed to the promise of cloud storage service.  It’s certainly an add-on service Google needs as its builds out its Android platform and series of applications across Chrome OS given Apple’s own iCloud, but its also entering into a rather crowded market with a bevy of consumer-facing apps like Dropbox already dominating the scene with integration points running the gamut.

April Launch

Leaked screenshots of GDrive has left people wondering if the years of waiting for the product will finally be over. According to Geekwire, a user claimed to have his GDrive enabled in his account. There was a link to “Install Google Drive” in the said screenshot. Not only was the account enabled, a possible logo was also seen. Could this be something that was done intentionally by Google to create more buzz around the service? Well, this has certainly caused a stir in the cloud computing industry. Being one of the largest conglomerates in the internet world, Google will surely take the spotlight whenever its cloud storage service is unveiled.

More interesting screenshots were revealed late last week. This time, a more detailed interface surfaced that included the Google Drive setup process and logo, showing 2 GB of free space. But, Talk Android reported that the free storage could zoom up to 5GB:

“Although the above image clearly states 2GB of free space, our tipster makes claim that there will possibly be up to 5GB’s of free storage with referrals and other similar incentives.”

If GDrive is released in a beta mode, free storage could gradually increase until…who knows.  Added services and space around cloud storage is becoming big business for enterprise and consumer markets, and it’s not an impossible feat for a company like Google, especially with its existing collection of web-based services like Google Docs around file-sharing and collaboration.

Early hints from years back

The idea of Google launching a massive cloud storage service for users is nothing new. It first appeared in the news back in 2006, when the search engine giant was reportedly gearing up to compete with Microsoft. An excerpt from a five year-old Wall Street Journal article reads:

“Google’s market power and focus on providing easy-to-use services heighten its chances of having an impact. Google is hoping to distinguish itself from existing online storage services partly by simplifying the process for transferring and opening files. Along with a Web-based interface, Google is trying to let users upload and access files directly from their PC desktops and have the file storage behave for consumers more like another hard drive that is handy at all times, say the people familiar with the matter.”

The anticipation was renewed in 2010 when G-Drive rumors resurfaced, together with its Docs platform. SiliconANGLE.com was able to identify the concepts behind the leaked material and at that time, it was a reasonable stand-in for Google Docs but seemed  nothing special. But today’s situation may be different as unstructured data, syncing, sharing and searching services are altogether exploding, breathing new life into various markets and setting off rivalries all their own.

For Google, one advantage to offering a broad data-storage service would be to potentially draw consumers to existing Google services that could compete not only with Microsoft’s and Apple’s line-up, but with Dropbox, Box and SugarSync as well.  But GDrive’s success could come down to its business model. Charging only for extra storage, GDrive could hold its own against standalone cloud storage providers.


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